Froststar's Folly
by wrenpaws
Summary: CypressClan and RillClan have spent seasons upon seasons fighting one another. Molepaw, a CypressClan apprentice, knows this well and doesn't generally try to push the boundaries of what he knows. When he meets Frost, an enigmatic loner, he feels like that might change.
1. Prologue

A/N: Hey there! You may recognize the title of this story from. YEARS ago- it's pretty much the same story, just rewritten and (hopefully) to be finished! _Froststar's Folly_ has been planned ever since 2014 and I can't wait to get into the story. It sucks but I'm gonna have to add Allegiances Chapters; the style of allegiances for this story are based off my good friend Key's allegiances from her story _Surpassing Excellency_ \- go check it out if you like this!

AS WELL this story contains themes of abuse, murder, etc., starting early on- I'll try to post warnings above each chapter!

Enjoy!

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Starlight glittered in Bumbletail's fur as she padded forward, her paws sinking into the soft snow. Cold yellow light cut through the ice, and when she looked up, eyes stinging in the bitter cold, Bumbletail could see twolegs still moving about in their dens. Nose scrunching up in disdain, she felt pity for any cat who dared to live in such a place.  
She approached a small den, propped up against the odd stone of a twoleg nest. It looked flimsy, damp with melted snow and coated in a thin layer of frost. Grimacing as she poked her head inside, she waited for a moment to let her eyes adjust. Her expression softened almost immediately.

Two tiny kits lay curled to a much larger tabby's side, her fluffy tail holding them close in an attempt at keeping them warm. One was very still, and the other stared at her with wide blue eyes. Bumbletail moved further into the den, perplexed by the kit's stare.

"You look like Sterling," the little she-kit whispered, motioning to the limp bundle next to her with a quick tilt of her head. Bumbletail blinked in confusion, then studied the little tom kit more closely, spotting a faint silhouette still sleeping by his body. Her heart immediately ached, and she stepped forward. The she-kit's eyes followed her, widening in awe when the starry cat touched her nose to her brother's forehead. By Bumbletail's prompting, Sterling stood, his own pelt glittering faintly. He looked hesitant, peering back first at his mother, then sister, before lurching forward to nuzzle into Bumbletail's fur, a low purr breaking from his throat. His sister let out a squeak of surprise, then glanced back at her mother's sleeping form, checking to see that the noise hadn't woken her.

The tiny, still-living kit didn't shrink away when she turned back and noticed Bumbletail's eyes on her, studying her. Her blue gaze darted to her brother before she lifted her chin defiantly, meeting Bumbletail's gaze as though she were already a powerful warrior. Bumbletail had to bite her tongue to prevent herself from laughing, the thoughts that flickered through her mind sobering her soon enough. In her mind's eye, she could see the kitten braving an even worse storm than the one which had claimed her brother's life, and Bumbletail shivered from the weight of the cold she felt sinking into her fur from the image alone.

"What is your name, little one?" she asked, her voice cracking slightly as she spoke. The fluffy little kit straightened, as if she hadn't expected the question.

"Frost! My name is Frost!" she exclaimed, and Bumbletail purred at her enthusiasm.

She padded forward, trailing her tail over Sterling's shoulders to soothe him when he began to cry. She crouched in front of Frost, her eyes burning with stars and questions. "It will be a long while yet before you will see your brother again, Frost," she said gently, and the little kit's eyes darted to the tiny tom, shivering in the mouth of their den.  
"Where are you taking him? Can't I come, too?" she asked, and Bumbletail shook her head sadly.

"You will be a big, strong cat one day," she murmured, pressing her muzzle to the little white blaze above Frost's nose. The kit squeaked in indignation as her question went unanswered, but her eyes widened and then fell closed as pleasant warmth filled her, her paws aching with the feeling. It was a hauntingly familiar sensation, but she couldn't quite place it.

Frost's eyes were shining when she opened them, stumbling a bit as the warmth receded. Bumbletail's expression was gentle as she pulled away, and a gentle tongue swiped over Frost's ear.

"That was a gift," the she-cat purred quitely. "One that I hope will serve you well until I see you again. Sleep now- you must be strong for what is to come." Frost's eyes suddenly grew heavy with obedience, as if she'd been ignoring her own fatigue, and she could vaguely hear Sterling ask the starry she-cat something as they padded away, his voice forlorn and sad.

She blinked awake to the sound of her mother's grieving wails and the brush of her brother's cold pelt.


	2. Allegiances (1)

**[ C. Y. P. R. E. S. S. C. L. A. N. ]**

 **Leader:**

Mottledstar - Old black-and-ginger spotted chimera tom with amber eyes and patchy fur.  
\+ Mate of Jaggedstrike †.  
\+ Brother of Mistberry.

 **Deputy:**

Eagleclaw - Big brown-and-white tom with yellow eyes and very large paws.  
\+ Mate of Leafnose.  
\+ Father of Ruffledpaw and Starlingpaw.

 **Medicine cat:**

Mistberry - Frail, skinny gray she-cat with green eyes.  
\+ Sister of Mottledstar.

 **Warriors:**

Briarfang - Huge brown tabby she-cat with scars stretching across her face and flanks. _apprentice - Molepaw  
_ \+ Sister of Leafnose.  
\+ Mother of Claypaw † and Siltpaw †.

Leafnose - Chubby brown tabby she-cat with a white blaze above her nose and amber eyes.  
\+ Sister of Briarfang.  
\+ Mate of Eagleclaw.  
\+ Mother of Ruffledpaw and Starlingpaw.

Snowtail - White tom with pale blue eyes. _apprentice - Ruffledpaw_

Gingerface - Beautiful ginger-and-white she-cat with green eyes. _apprentice - Starlingpaw_

Spottedheart - Spotted brown tabby trans she-cat with amber eyes.  
\+ Mate of Cherryfur.  
\+ Sire of Mudkit, Cloudkit, and Ivykit.

Lightfoot - Pale ginger tabby she-cat with yellow eyes.  
\+ Mate of Thrushwing.  
\+ Mother of Molepaw.

Thrushwing - Thin, dark brown tom with amber eyes and a white chest.  
\+ Mate of Lightfoot.  
\+ Father of Molepaw.

Ottersplash - Pale brown she-cat with a white underbelly and blue eyes.

 **Apprentices:**

Molepaw - Solid brown tom with a white tail-tip and yellow eyes.

Ruffledpaw - Handsome, long-furred ginger tom with amber eyes.  
\+ Brother of Starlingpaw.

Starlingpaw - Dark brown tabby she-cat with a cream-colored chest and paws. Amber eyes.  
\+ Sister of Ruffledpaw.

 **Queens:**

Cherryfur - Small, scarred tortoiseshell she-cat with blind green eyes.

Mudkit - Black-and-white tom.

Ivykit - Brown-and-white tabby she-kit.  
Cloudkit - Mostly white she-kit with dilute tortoiseshell patches.

 **Elders:**  
Hailstorm - A fragile-looking gray tabby tom with blue eyes.

 **[ R. I. L. L. C. L. A. N. ]**

 **Leader:**

Goldstar - Fluffy black she-cat with golden eyes. Walks with a limp.  
\+ Mother of Birdpaw and Dovepaw.

 **Deputy:**

Pinestripe - Brown tabby tom with a white underbelly and green eyes. _apprentice: Berrypaw_

 **Medicine Cat:**

Rushfeather - Ginger tabby tom with golden eyes. _apprentice: Tansypaw_  
\+ Brother of Hollybreeze.

 **Warriors:**

Hollybreeze - Ginger she-cat with green eyes. _apprentice: Birdpaw  
_ \+ Sister of Rushfeather.  
+Mother of Tansypaw.

Oakwhisker - Brown tabby tom with yellow eyes.  
\+ Mate of Ashclaw.  
\+ Father of Berrypaw and Fisherpaw.

Emberspots - Gray tom with darker gray flecks.  
\+ Brother of Ashclaw and Runningstep.

Ashclaw - Gray tabby she-cat with amber eyes.  
\+ Sister of Emberspots and Runningstep.  
\+ Mate of Oakwhisker.  
\+ Mother of Fisherpaw and Berrypaw.

Runningstep - Black tom with long legs and green eyes. _apprentice: Fisherpaw  
_ \+ Brother of Ashclaw and Emberspots.  
\+ Mate of Daisyface.

Daisyface - Fluffy ginger-and-white trans she-cat with green eyes. _apprentice: Dovepaw  
_ \+ Mate of Runningstep.

Coppertail - White trans she-cat with ginger ears and tail. Heterochromatic gold-and-blue eyes.

 **Apprentices:**

Berrypaw - Cream-and-brown tom with gray-green eyes.  
\+ Brother of Fisherpaw.

Fisherpaw - Very pale gray tom with amber eyes.  
\+ Brother of Berrypaw.

Tansypaw - Golden tabby she-cat with blue eyes.

Birdpaw - Blue-gray tabby tom with yellow eyes.  
\+ Brother of Dovepaw.

Dovepaw - Gray-and-white tabby she-cat with yellow eyes.  
\+ Sister of Birdpaw.

 **Queens:**  
Sparrowstorm - Ginger-and-white tabby she-cat with amber eyes.  
\+ Expecting Runningstep and Daisyface's kits.

Birchsplash - Lithe silver tabby trans-tom with bright green eyes.

Sootkit - Black tom with a white underbelly.

 **[ C. A. T. S. O. U. T. S. I. D. E. C. L. A. N. S. ]**

Aspen - Short gray tabby trans tom with brown eyes.  
\+ Adoptive father of Frost.

Frost - Fluffy gray she-kit with a white blaze and forepaw and blue eyes.

Harriet - Long-furred brown tabby kittypet with blue eyes and a silver collar.  
\+ Mother of Mayfly.

Mayfly - Brown-and-white tabby she-cat with blue eyes.


	3. Chapter One

Already up to chapter one of the story, and introducing our main POV character! Molepaw has always been one of my absolute favorite characters to write and I hope you enjoy reading him as much as I enjoy writing him!

Also be warned, as there are themes of abuse present in this chapter! I'll try to upload new chapters daily, or even weekly, but we'll have to see!

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Molepaw grunted, annoyed, when Starlingpaw prodded him awake, his eyes blurry with sleep as he lifted his head. He fixed Starlingpaw with a sour glare, and she laughed in response, undeterred.

"You know that Briarfang will claw your ears off if you're late," she reminded him, and Molepaw reluctantly sat up in his nest, jaws stretching wide in a yawn.

Ruffledpaw, next to him, stirred as well. Starlingpaw purred again at the sight of her brother waking, meowing something about Snowtail looking for him before slipping out of the den and into the warm newleaf sunlight outside. Ruffledpaw shook his ginger fur out, mirroring Molepaw's yawn before following her.

Gathering his paws under him to follow, Molepaw blinked sharply, his eyes narrowing against the bright light. Immediately, Molepaw caught sight of the hulking form of Briarfang, stalking towards the apprentice's den with a switching tail and intent amber eyes. He had enough sense to be cowed, and thankfully only suffered a cuff to the ear when his mentor finally reached his side.

"I told you to be waiting by the camp entrance at sunhigh!" she hissed, her eyes narrowed in annoyance. Molepaw gave her a sheepish look. "Well it's not too late-"

"You were at the entrance to the _apprentice's den_ at sunhigh." Molepaw cringed at her harsh tone, and Briarfang sighed, her voice softer when she continued, "I suppose it's not as bad as it _could_ have been. Now come on, before Eagleclaw gets _my_ ears."

She led him over to where the deputy was standing with Thrushwing, who dipped his head nervously as the two approached. Molepaw purred slightly at his father's nervous expression, but quickly went silent when Briarfang glanced over at him, narrowing her eyes. Eagleclaw looked up, his eyes shining. "I want you to hit the northern side of the border," he meowed, and Briarfang nodded. Molepaw couldn't help but admire the tom. Being the deputy wasn't necessarily a prized position, with so much work and stress, but Molepaw thought maybe it was well worth all that trouble if a stubborn cat like _Briarfang_ listened to him. He let his mind wander for a moment, thinking. One day, it was very plausible he could become the deputy or even leader of CypressClan. It was a little daunting to think about, but he felt a swell in his chest at the idea of being responsible for his entire Clan.

"Catch anything you can on the way up there. Cherryfur's kits need the extra prey." He blinked as the words snapped him out of his thoughts, and Molepaw's eyes wandered to the nursery when the queen's name was mentioned, spotting her sunning not far from the entrance of the den. Mudkit was scrambling up her flank, and he turned to bat at Ivykit and Cloudkit when they tried to follow him. When the kit noticed Molepaw's staring he bristled, his fur fluffing up almost comically. He yowled something at the bigger cat, but was promptly hushed by his mother, who had winced at the sudden loudness. Briarfang laughed, startling Molepaw - she'd apparently followed his gaze. She sounded almost forlorn and Molepaw remembered that she had lost her two apprentice-aged kits in a RillClan raid some moons ago, before he'd ever even become an apprentice himself. Molepaw glanced at her warily. Even a strong warrior like her felt sad sometimes and he wasn't sure how to feel about it.

The little patrol started out into the forest, passing Snowtail and Ruffledpaw practicing near the entrance to the camp. Molepaw vaguely heard Snowtail's voice, low with irritation as he scolded his apprentice for his poor fighting stance. Even with his ears down, the ginger tom perked up and raised his tail in greeting to Molepaw, who nodded in acknowledgement with a pitying look. He jolted as Briarfang's tail dragged along his shoulders to focus him, and he turned away from his friend, letting the fresh green of the forest fill his senses.

It had only been a moon since he'd been apprenticed, so he still felt compelled to drink it all in whenever he stepped out of camp. The thrill of adventure settled in his paws and sang in his blood, and he couldn't help but give a little bounce of excitement as he followed the older cats in his patrol down the slope leading out into the territory. Briarfang noticed this and rolled her eyes, but her expression was soft. She wasn't as harsh as she made herself out to be.

Thrushwing nearly jumped out of his fur when the bushes near him rustled without warning, causing Briarfang to burst into raucous laughter. Thrushwing's ears flattened against his skull and Molepaw huffed, padding forward to investigate and casting an incredulous look back at his father when he saw that it was just the wind. "Your name should have been Thrushflight," he muttered under his breath, making sure Briarfang's sharp ears couldn't catch his words.

After recovering from his minor shock, Thrushwing halted the patrol and cleared his throat. "I think- from here- we should split up. We'll cover more ground that way." Briarfang's ears flattened, and her eyes flashed with annoyance as she objected, "Molepaw's never been on his own in the territory before!" Thrushwing blinked at this and Molepaw's pelt prickled as his father's eyes flicked to him, appraising him. He let out a breath he didn't know he'd been holding when Thrushwing shrugged, dipping his head in Molepaw's direction. "I think he'll be alright," he ventured, "It's better to let him explore the territory sooner rather than later, right?"

Briarfang still looked unsure, and Molepaw bounced impatiently, already feeling beyond excited about even the idea of being unsupervised.

"I'll be fine, trust me! You've taught me enough cool moves that if any filthy rogue tried to attack me, I'd slice 'em up!" he exclaimed, sliding his claws out for emphasis and digging them into the soft ground beneath his paws.

Thrushwing took an automatic step back, giving a nervous chuckle. "At least he's eager," Briarfang murmured, sounding amused and earning another chuckle, this one much lighter. She still looked wary, but her tone had Molepaw suppressing a victorious purr.

"We'll meet right back here in a little while, maybe when the sky starts to turn orange?" Thurshwing suggested hesitantly, and Briarfang nodded. They both fixed Molepaw with a curious stare and he dipped his head in acknowledgement, paws already itching with the desire to dash away.

After a brief lecture from Briarfang, Molepaw was allowed to trot away, raising his tail in goodbye as he padded away from his mentor. Within seconds her form was swallowed up by the underbrush, and Molepaw allowed himself to relax. It was so bright and green out in the forest- he'd never been so far from camp! He broke into a run, his muscles stretching and bunching in the most glorious way. He wasn't allowed to run full-pelt in camp, since the warriors were terrified he'd bowl over one of the kits or, even worse, Cherryfur herself. Molepaw didn't blame them, since the lone queen often wandered around without fully realizing where she was sometimes and more than once Mistberry had had to patch either her or some unlucky warrior up after a run-in in camp.

It was only when he noticed the ground's slight sloping under his paws that he looked up, just in time to smack into a smaller cat. Molepaw yelped, back claws digging into the earth to stop himself and forepaws pressing into soft gray fur. It took him a second to recover, and even before then he could hear the cat he'd run into growling at him, her voice high-pitched and full of righteous anger.

When he looked up, he could see that she was small, her face round with lack of age. She didn't look like she should be out of the nursery, much less roaming territory by herself- the thought ran through his mind that RillClan must have apprenticed their kits early. Then, after another half-second of contemplation, Molepaw realized that he didn't recognize the smell on her, and that she was far too skinny to be a Clan cat.

He automatically scrambled back, the fur along his spine bristling and his lips curling back in a fearsome snarl. The she-cat mimicked him, her tail swishing aggressively.

"What are you doing on CypressClan land?!" Molepaw asked in a hiss, and the smaller she-cat's eyes flashed with brief confusion before she spat, "Hunting, what else!?" The fury that sped through the apprentice shocked him, and he felt his claws curling into the rocky soil.

"You heard me! This is CypressClan territory, you can't hunt here!"

"Who says?!"

The response floored him, his anger halting momentarily. Was she stupid? His response came out sputtered, "I say! You can't just hunt on another cat's land, and I have an entire Clan that'll back me up! So get out!"

She glared at him, her eyes the brightest shade of blue he'd ever seen. "Make me," she hissed, and he saw red.

Molepaw shot forward, his claws catching in her soft kit-fur, and a fearsome snarl echoed in his ear as the rogue's teeth sank into his scruff. He had the immediate thought that, based on size and experience alone, he'd win. He was wrong.

Within instants Molepaw was on the ground, the she-cat's claws braced against his throat. His yellow eyes were wide with shock and fear, and her's were narrowed with anger. Molepaw felt paralyzed. Was that what real battle was like? It was over in an instant, and the she-cat wasn't even a Clan cat! Frustration burned in his pelt and behind his eyes, which he squeezed shut when he felt her claws press closer to his throat. His first outing on his own as an apprentice and he was going to die at a kit's claws!

A giggle sounded near his ear, and Molepaw stiffened and looked up as the rogue sheathed her claws, her tail swishing as she released him and padded a few taillengths away. Confusion and relief mixed together in a dizzying blend as he sat up warily, his own tailtip switching.

"Are all Clan cats as weak as you?" the rogue asked snidely, and Molepaw winced, mortified. "Shut up! I'm just an apprentice!" he shot back, and she shot him an unimpressed look. He felt his ears burning and looked down at his paws, trying not to show how badly his pride was hurt.

"Why'd you let me go?" he asked, eyes darting up to appraise the kit. She snorted, and Molepaw resisted the urge to bare his teeth at her.

"Murder's not really my thing. You didn't even scratch me," she added with a huff of annoyance. The apprentice's tail thumped against the ground, annoyed, and the rogue's eyes flashed to the motion before back to his. She looked smug and it was infuriating.

"My name's Frost, by the way. I can tell you're just _dying_ to know." Molepaw snorted this time, ears flattening slightly. _At least irritation-incarnate's got a name,_ he thought bitterly.

He stiffened when Frost approached him, prodding his side none-too-gently with one of her paws. "What about you? You got a name there, Mr. Clan cat?" Molepaw hesitated, then looked down again. "Molepaw," he grumbled, catching the way her ears perked up from the corner of his vision. Looking her over now, she didn't look too much smaller than he was. Maybe it was because of how downy her fur was…

"Molepaw? That's. Weird." Frost shrugged dismissively when he shot her a sour look, his shoulders hunching in. She was calling his name weird? Her own name was so short!

"So you said you were an apprentice, right?" Frost glanced at him, waiting for Molepaw to nod in confirmation before continuing, "Don't you Clan cats change your names or something?" The questioning was genuine but Frost's tone was starting to annoy him. Molepaw's claws dug into the ground, but he didn't dare attack her after how easily she'd put him down just moments before.

"Yeah," he began warily, "Kits, apprentices, warriors, and leaders all have different names. 'Paw' means apprentice." Frost's eyes glinted with interest, and she turned her full attention on him, as if expecting him to continue. Molepaw cleared his throat, a little embarrassed.

"I was Molekit up until a couple of moons ago. And soon I won't be Molepaw anymore. I'll be something cool like… Like…" He hesitated, thinking, and immediately an image of Eagleclaw popped into his head. "Like Moleclaw." Frost's expression had a hint of amusement to it now and his ears burned. She couldn't possibly read his thoughts, could she?

"And what's the leader's name get changed to?" she prompted, and Molepaw paused before answering. "Leaders get 'star' in their name. Our leader now is Mottledstar." He didn't want to get too ahead of himself, though the idea of tacking 'star' onto his own name filled him with a giddy pride. Frost lit up, as though the thought excited her, too, and Molepaw snickered.

"I thought you said our names were weird," he challenged, and Frost immediately huffed, flicking his shoulder with her paw. "I did say that, but the whole name-change thingy is pretty cool I guess."

Her tone was still annoying, but Molepaw was quickly coming to recognize it. Frost was a lot like Briarfang when he really thought about it. Just less mean, probably. He knew for a fact that if he'd ever attacked Briarfang and she were a rogue, she wouldn't have hesitated to kill him right then… The thought made him shiver and Frost blinked at him curiously. Before she could ask something that would undoubtedly mortify him further, Molepaw again cleared his throat.

"So since you're not a Clan cat, where do you-" He paused when he heard a faint noise in the underbrush behind him, and turned just as it grew into a loud, furious crashing.

Briarfang's roar was nearly deafening, and Molepaw's eyes widened as he was shouldered roughly to the side. Frost had immediately jumped to her paws, her lips curled back to reveal sharp kitten teeth, but Briarfang didn't seem to care.

She bowled the smaller cat over, engaging her in a series of snarls and hisses and a flurry of gray-and-brown fur. Molepaw smelled blood and saw the smaller cat disengage, or try to- Briarfang caught her by the haunches with thorn-sharp claws, and the rogue let out a scream of pain, her claws gouging the ground as she struggled to free herself.

To see Frost- the cat who'd defeated him so easily- being so ruthlessly attacked almost made him cringe, and Molepaw stared in shock when Briarfang released the kitten with one last clawing, sending the rogue running with her tail between her legs.

Gaze still fixed on the fleeing Frost, Molepaw was unprepared for the claws that came down on his ears, and he let out a sharp howl of surprise and pain, immediately dropping to the ground to cover the sore area with his paws.

"What were you thinking?! That cat could have been dangerous, she could have hurt you! She was stealing prey, no less!" Briarfang spat, and the disdain in her voice was enough to make the smaller apprentice flinch.

"I'm sorry, she was just so strange and I thought-"

"You _didn't_ think! If you were _thinking_ then you'd have known that you needed to chase her off!" Briarfang snarled, and Molepaw cowered further.

The tabby warrior glared down at him for a moment before releasing a long sigh, leaning down to roughly lap at his ear. Molepaw flinched, still cowering from the scolding she'd given him.

"You can't do stuff like that. You're not a kit anymore, you can't afford to be naïve. What if she had been a RillClan warrior? Would you have let her stay then?"

Molepaw shook his head furiously, and she nodded, looking a bit more satisfied.

"It's time to head back and meet Thrushwing. Maybe you can try to catch something on the way that'll make up for that rogue." Briarfang jerked her head towards the CypressClan camp and Molepaw rose to his feet, tail still drooping as he again nodded in acknowledgement to her words. He followed her into the underbrush, not daring to chance a look behind him to see if Frost was still visible or not. Considering the beating Briarfang had given her, Molepaw hoped she wasn't.

 _If she knows what's good for her, she won't come back._


End file.
